


the breakup

by longituddeonda



Series: universal constant universe [4]
Category: Narcos (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Loneliness, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24173050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longituddeonda/pseuds/longituddeonda
Summary: part of a collection of drabbles and ficlets in the universe of 'on a universal constant, falling off the bottom of the earth'in which reader sees javier at the bar, a few days before christmas
Relationships: Javier Peña & Reader, Javier Peña/Reader
Series: universal constant universe [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691518
Kudos: 12





	the breakup

**Author's Note:**

> december 1973

For the first time in your life, there was the possibility of snow on Christmas day in Laredo. It was four days away, and the cold air and occasional flurries showed no signs of stopping. It was a light cover, nothing like the snow in New York during college, but snow none-the-less. The kids in the neighborhood were excited.

In four days you would spend your first Christmas alone. You tried to tell yourself that it wasn’t that important. Except growing up, even the years when your family didn’t celebrate, the Peña’s would invite you over. In college, you celebrated with friends who also weren’t going back home for the holidays. And in the few years since you’ve returned, your grandmother would still invite you to dinner with her. But this year, she was in Dallas with your aunt. 

It was made worse by the fact every one of your friends had plans with their families. There was no one to invite over for a nice dinner, not even the possibility of a pick-me-up night at the club. 

Which was why you found yourself trekking through the snow at 11pm for a drink. 

The closest bar was not close but you didn’t trust yourself to stay sober enough to drive back, so walking would have to do. 

After almost thirty cold minutes on the streets, you pushed the door open, the warm air a welcome embrace. You shed your coat and carried it up to the bar, draping it over a chair before sitting down and ordering a glass of something that you could sip at. You only wanted to loosen up tonight, and maybe forget about how alone you were. 

There weren’t many people at the establishment, and had it been any other night, it would have surprised you, except kids had just finished school and so families were already getting together. The only people who’d be here this week would be the ones without families, or those who didn’t celebrate, which wasn’t a very small population in Laredo. 

You pulled out a book from your purse, starting to read as an attempt not to look entirely pathetic: twenty-five, alone during Christmas week, sad-drinking at a bar. You didn’t judge anyone else who did it, but, hypocritically, you viewed your own activities as the most shameful and embarrassing thing. 

Some song by the Rolling Stones was playing when you reached the end of your glass and looked up to find the bartender for a refill. Your eyes scanned the room as you waited, and they fell upon a figure tucked into a booth in the back corner, also drinking alone. 

Javier. 

The initial shock was only because you hadn’t seen him in almost a year, only hearing occasionally about his relationship with Lorraine. 

You were told that he was part of the police presence during the small women’s marches in which you participated in downtown Laredo, but you only saw him during the one back in January, after the decision on Roe v. Wade. He was hiding behind his uniform, hand on his gun. Except you could read his face better than anyone and could see the excitement on what was happening. 

You know he broke up with Lorraine a week ago, during a holiday event at her church. Word had spread quickly about the public fight, how he stormed out of the building, and how Lorraine was left crying in front of part of the congregation who swarmed around her to comfort her. No one knew why they ended. Years ago, you might have had a theory on why their relationship would have ended, but now you weren’t really sure who either of them were, or what they wanted. It could have fallen apart for any number of reasons. 

It was some consolation to see him looking lonely and pained in the corner of the bar. 

Partially, it was nice just to see him. You missed looking at his face, but you really missed his smile, so this wasn’t the best moment. But it was nice nonetheless.

You liked that, even if he didn’t see you up at the bar, the two of you were at the very least united by loneliness on a night where very few were. 

And the look of sadness on his face warmed the part of your heart that wanted to believe that Javi might not have been as much of an asshole as the town made him out to be. If he was anything like the boy you grew up with, he wouldn’t break up with someone unless they had truly wronged him. He was too kind. You hoped that hadn’t changed.

The bartender came over and asked you what you wanted. 

You asked for the bill. 


End file.
